Good Hope prepares for alcohol sales

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September 5, 2012

Good Hope prepares for alcohol sales

By Benjamin Bullard The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Wed Sep 05, 2012, 09:20 AM CDT

GOOD HOPE — With voters approving legalized alcohol sales last week, city officials will soon take up the liquor ordinance they first approved when preparing for a failed wet/dry referendum two years ago.

At that time, the Good Hope city council pored over other cities’ alcohol ordinances, consulted with state alcohol enforcement officers and held special work sessions to craft a set of laws that would satisfy local needs.

With two years gone by since the ordinance was adopted, however, parts of the law have already been rendered passe by regulatory changes at the state level. And, with the culture of alcohol sales far more open in Cullman County than it was two years ago, city leaders now have a local frame of reference to help them set fees, zoning distances and operating hours that fall in line with those imposed in Hanceville and Cullman.

“I think what we plan to do is to take Hanceville’s, and Cullman’s, ordinances and compare the key points in them,” said Good Hope Mayor Corey Harbison Tuesday. “‘Key points’ means things like taxes, fees, enforcement, and things like that. I think we want to be on the same page, generally, as those guys — not too strict for the area that we’re in, and certainly not too lenient.”

Good Hope’s not a frontier town, and saloons and late-night honky tonks here aren’t likely. But geographically, the city is in an economic frontier zone — right off the interstate, contiguous with Cullman, and near the jumping-off point for visitors bound for Cullman’s industrial and retail areas, as well as Smith Lake.

That could mean some pretty dramatic changes for Good Hope’s retail scene over the next couple of years, especially if the Alabama Department of Transportation finally gets to work on the long-proposed new interchange off County Road 222.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of changes over the next two years in Good Hope,” Harbison said. “We’ve already had a lot of interest. We’ve had about 20 people ask about [liquor] licensing. It’s great to see that kind of interest, and we have a lot to offer businesses, but we have to be careful how we manage it.

“Whether you were for it or against it in the election, we as a council have to move forward with it now. It’s here, and since it’s here, we’re going to use it for recruiting; to take advantage of the opportunities that arise out of it here in Good Hope. But we’ve got to listen to our businesses and our citizens as we move forward.”

The mayor doesn’t make all a city’s decisions, as Harbison defers to the city council on questions concerning how the revised liquor ordinance will look. But, he said, it’s important that Good Hope present a consistent and unified image to the many people who’ve already asked about obtaining liquor licenses — as well as the residents who voted against alcohol; those who hope the city doesn’t become too permissive in its embracing a potentially problematic new source of local revenues.

The council will meet at 6:30 on Sept. 10 (Monday), and the agenda will include the taking up of a revision to the current ordinance. If the council is united on any changes, it could approve the new document at a second council meeting later this month.

“We want to create an environment that will be fair to all types of businesses that will be regulated under our ordinance,” said Harbison.

“And I think, at this stage, the best way to send a clear message that we’re going to deal fairly with people is to tell everybody who’s inquiring about getting a license that nothing is up for discussion until after the ordinance has been finalized. I’m hoping that will happen by our second meeting in September. We’ll do it in a timely fashion — but we are going to make sure it’s done right.”

* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.

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